


return to me, my love, and stay by my side

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Use of the Force, Anakin Skywalker Hates Sand, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Anakin Skywalker has PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Awesome Padmé Amidala, Babies, Brotherly Love, Burns, Canonical Character Death, Children, Cuddling & Snuggling, Darth Vader Redemption, Dominant Padmé Amidala, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Feel-good, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Lightning, Force Visions, Force-Sensitive Leia Organa, Friendship/Love, Fusion of Star Wars Legends and Disney Canon, Gentle Kissing, Good Parent Anakin Skywalker, Home, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, In a way, Intimacy, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Kid Fic, Kid Luke Skywalker and Kid Leia Organa, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, Married Couple, Maybe Some Plot, Medical, Meditation, Memories, Mentioned Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Character Death, Names, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, No Incest, On the Run, Padmé Amidala Lives, Parent Darth Vader, Parent-Child Relationship, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prosthesis, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective Padmé Amidala, Pseudonyms, Psychic Bond, Sarcasm, Scars, Skywalker Family, Suitless Darth Vader, Tatooine (Star Wars), Telepathy, The Force, Toddlers, Trans Luke Skywalker, True Love, anakin misses his mom :pensieve:, and himself i won't lie, and talking about his problems, and tatooine, does it count as found family if u n ur wife are raising ur bio kids w ur de facto dad, hmmmm havin som Thots, how much further can i go without bringin ahsoka back lmao, i mean. kinda, is that how the force works?, like. fluff n hurt/comfort first but Oh Boy we in for it eventually, padme is very very pretty and anakin loves her so much, there's other good stuff to make up fr tht, there's some c3d2 if u squint lmao, we keepin it pg-13 tho, we skip over most of the . hm. good stuff but, we'll see, we're borrowin some lore frm legends bc there's no reason certain aspects can't coexist, well . if it isn't i don't care, yall i got plans fr this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 11:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22255210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: The hum of the ship. The periodic beeping of the console. The sight of his children asleep in their cribs. Everything was calm. Peaceful, at least for now.With most of his cybernetic suit deactivated, he had to be slow and careful with every wheezing breath, or it could very well be his last.Padmé brings her husband back from the darkness. But in war, victories are not without losses.Please watch the video that inspired this before reading! Thank you !! On hiatus for the time being; thank you for understanding !!!
Relationships: Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 149
Kudos: 253





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What If Padmé Survived?](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/550591) by Star Wars Theory. 



> warning for very brief mentions of necrosis and infection, along with the tiniest bit of blood :x also, some medical jargon! because med droids! ~~and i like to show off~~

The hum of the ship. The periodic beeping of the console. The sight of his children asleep in their crib. Everything was calm. Peaceful, at least for now. Anakin could have easily drifted off into sleep. But he fought the urge. With most of his cybernetic suit deactivated, he had to be slow and careful with every wheezing breath, or it could very well be his last.

“Ani?”

He turned, grateful that his audio sensors were still functioning. Padmé stood in the doorway. She seemed hesitant, but still smiled at him so kindly.

“Hey.” Anakin’s voice was barely more than a whisper without the enunciator from his helmet. He cleared his throat, trying to stave off the coughing fit he knew was inevitable. “How’s Obi-Wan holding up?”

“He’ll be fine,” she answered as she sat down beside him. “He’s tired, though.”

“Mm. Makes sense.” He put his arm tentatively around her shoulders. “Is this-“

“It’s okay.” She took his hand and pulled it onto her shoulder. Her touch made him tense up ever so slightly.

“Okay.” He paused. “Listen, I-“

“Ani. It’s okay.” She reached up to cup his face with one hand. He winced, the slight sheen of salty sweat stinging the burns that now covered nearly his entire body. “Sorry.”

“No. No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I could have killed you.” He looked down. “I almost did.”

“I know. But I forgive you.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t.”

Padmé sighed. She rested her head against his breastplate. “You were trying to protect me.”

“That doesn’t change what I did.” Anakin pulled away, even though he immediately missed having her in his embrace. “I hurt you. I could have hurt the kids.”

Padmé put her hand on his shoulder. “Whether or not I  _should_ forgive you, I’m still going to do it.” She turned his face toward hers with just the tips of her fingers and pressed the lightest possible kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

Anakin licked his lips; even that burned. His eyes began to fill with tears. “I love you too,” he whispered. “I never wanna lose you.”

“You won’t, Ani.”

One of the babies stirred. The new parents turned, Padmé crossing the small room to investigate.

“What did you name them?” Anakin asked as he got to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall, the crib, and his wife.

“This is Leia,” Padmé said softly, lifting their daughter from the crib and kissing her forehead. “And that’s Luke.” She pointed to their son, still fast asleep on his back.

“I thought the med droids said we were having two girls.” Anakin, his gloves removed, stroked Luke’s cheek with gold-tipped fingers. He chuckled. “But I guess Obi-Wan told you otherwise, hm?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?”

“I can feel him. Before, his force signature was masked by yours. But now that he’s out here it’s clear that he’s nobody’s  _daughter_.” He turned to his wife with a smile. “He’s our son.”

“How can you tell?”

Anakin shrugged. “I can’t really explain it. I just know.” He held his hand out to Leia, who took his fingers in her tiny hands, gripping them tightly. He chuckled. “Good to know she doesn’t mind . . . this.” The small smile fell from his face.

“Of course she doesn’t. She’s only a few rotations old.” Padmé glanced at her husband. “And I don’t mind it either, you know.”

“I do.”

“Hey. Once we get somewhere with a proper medbay, you can take a dip in a bacta tank-“

“It’s not just my skin, Padmé. My lungs are shot from all the smoke. Every breath is so shallow it barely sustains me. It’s agony. My organs were shutting down and dying inside me, so they had to be removed. Replaced. And he shut the suit down, so those replacements aren’t functioning anymore.” He closed his eyes. “I’m dying, Pa-“ but he was cut off by a violent coughing fit. He tried to brace himself against the crib, but eventually sank to the floor, spitting blood.

“Ani!” Padmé knelt beside him, still holding their daughter in her arms. Anakin reached for her shoulder and kept a firm grip on it. He couldn’t meet her gaze, but he assured her as much as was possible that he wouldn’t leave her like this.

When the coughing had subsided, slipping back into soft wheezing, Padmé returned Leia to the crib and helped Anakin to his feet.

“You need to rest,” she said firmly. “Come on.”

“I don’t want to leave them,” Anakin growled, stubborn as ever. “I’ve probably only got a few hours left. I want to spend it with you and the kids.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

Anakin sighed. “Just stay with me.”

Padmé paused. She blinked away the tears in her eyes. “Okay. But you need to sit down.”

“Fine.”

Once he was settled, Padmé pulled out a small oxygen tank and a sterile breathing tube, hooking it up and helping her husband get it on. “Does that help?”

Anakin took a deep breath and nodded, closing his eyes. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Now, I have to-“

“Aw, Padmé. Come on.”

“I’m just going to check on Obi-Wan. I’ll be back in two minutes.”

“There’s no need for that,” came a familiar voice from the hallway. Obi-Wan stood in the entrance to the room, holding the end of his left arm with his remaining hand.

“Obi-Wan.” Anakin moved to stand, but Padmé stopped him with a firm hand on his chest. “I . . .”

“Save your breath,” Obi-Wan said, taking a seat on the other side of his former padawan. “You’ll need your strength.”

Anakin’s gaze fell on where Obi-Wan’s arm ended, a few inches higher than his elbow had been. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “All of this was my fault.”

“What did I just tell you?”

Anakin looked up to meet his former master’s gaze. He was smiling, soft and a little bit sad.

“You’ll have plenty of chances to atone for your actions, Anakin. Every day, when you care for your children, it will be an act of repentance.”

“You and I both know I won’t make it long enough to do that.”

“You’d be surprised.” He turned to Padmé. “Bail Organa wants to speak with you once he arrives. He’s agreed to grant us shelter on Alderaan for a short while, but then we’ll have to move on.”

“How long?”

“A couple of rotations, at most. But it’s better than nothing. He said that Naboo is already under Imperial control.”

Padmé squared her shoulders. “Those karking-“

“Woah there,” Anakin laughed, low and raspy. “Language. There are children present.”

Padmé smacked him on the arm. “Kriffing, then.”

“Still unbecoming of a senator.”

“Spare me. It’s not like either of them will remember any of this.”

“Still. You shouldn’t get into the habit.” Anakin struggled to sit up slightly. “Can you bring ‘em over?”

“Of course.” Padmé stood, pulling the now-awakened Luke from the crib and handing him carefully to his father, then bringing Leia back into her arms and sitting once more.

“Hey, Luke.” Anakin said softly. “Stars. You’re so small.” He took Luke’s hand between two fingers and kissed his tiny knuckles. “I’ll be here for you as long as I can, okay?”

Luke stared blankly up at his father. Leia gurgled, wriggling her arms free of her blanket.

“Don’t worry, Leia. Dad’s not gonna leave you out.” He stroked her hair. “But you two gotta promise you’ll take care of each other. Got that?”

Luke blew a raspberry, smacking the lights on Anakin’s chest.

“He doesn’t want you to sound so defeated,” Padmé teased.

“And he just might get his wish,” Obi-Wan commented. “We’ll be landing in a few minutes.”

“Can you hold Leia while I land the ship?”

“I would if your children didn’t hate me.”

“Oh, stop. She doesn’t hate you.” She rested her daughter in Obi-Wan’s lap. “Two minutes.”

Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan. “What makes you say they hate you?”

“I initially brought Padmé to Tatooine,” Obi-Wan said gently. “I was going to leave her with your step-brother and niblings, but I had to say goodbye to the little ones.” He sighed. “They were all I had left of you.” A low chuckle escaped him. “Luke’s crying woke her up.”

Anakin considered that for a moment. “I think he could feel your sadness,” he mused. “The force is strong with them; I can feel it. He probably sensed how much all of it was hurting you.”

“I wasn’t-“

Anakin cut the older man off with a knowing smile.

Obi-Wan sighed. He laughed for a moment, putting his hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “Padmé told me when she awoke that she believed there was still good in you. I told her to stop being foolish. I’m glad I was wrong.”

Anakin chuckled. “Time and time again you underestimate me.”

Padmé reappeared in the doorway. She was followed by three medical droids, two of which were connected to opposite ends of a stretcher.

“I’ll take Luke and Leia,” she said, returning them to their crib. “I’ll meet you in the medbay once I get them settled, okay?”

“I’ll come with you,” Obi-Wan offered.

“No. You’re injured, too, Master Kenobi. You need medical attention.”

“It’s really not that bad-“

“Not yet, it isn’t. Now go with the droid.”

“Padmé-“

“I don’t want to hear it!”

Obi-Wan looked to Anakin, who merely shrugged. He groaned. “Fine. But I’m helping you get Anakin up there.”

What remained of Anakin’s stomach tied itself in a knot. “Guys, that’s not-“

“Alright. You take his left side.”

“Obviously.”

“Padmé. I don’t-“

“Anakin, you said it yourself. You can barely sustain yourself breathing on your own. You nearly keeled over after standing for, what, a minute and a half? You’re in no condition to climb up on that thing on your own.” She squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to do any of this alone.”

“But I want to.”

“I know. And you’ll be able to soon. But I’m not betting your life on this.”

Anakin sighed. “Fine. But I’m gonna be heavier than either of you remember.” He kicked his seat with the back of his heel. “Durasteel legs.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Obi-Wan grumbled. “Now come on. Let’s get you off this ship.”

It took a few minutes, but eventually Anakin was sitting on the edge of the stretcher, struggling to pull breath into his lungs. His wheezing brought on another coughing fit, which only left him further exhausted. Padmé and the droid by his head guided him to turn and lie back, while the other removed his boots and prosthetic legs, setting them aside in the lower compartment. It set to the task of cutting away his pants from the underside, and when Anakin’s hamstring was placed down on the stretcher, he found it slick with a gentle warmth. He relaxed slightly as it helped soothe his charred flesh.

“Careful,” he wheezed as one of the droids approached his chest with a pair of scissors. “Lots of . . . implants.”

“We will not remove anything cybernetic in nature,” it assured him. “Only the excess material that is impeding the bacta from helping you heal. Please, save your strength, and try to remain calm for the time being.”

Anakin closed his eyes. His exposed skin stung, but the familiar slime that was quickly spread over his chest helped immensely.

“Necrotic tissue on anterior of right shoulder,” the droid noted. “Scan shows necrosis spreading down to scapula and humerus.”

“Necrosis surrounding patch of synth-skin on upper left thigh,” the other added. “Along with infection surrounding what appears to be a ventilator port. Subject may require surgery prior to bacta submersion.”

“No,” Anakin groaned brokenly. “No more.”

“Confirmed; surgery will be necessary in order to ensure the subject lives. Apologies.”

“Rerouting to surgical ward. Prepare general anesthetic.”


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin came to coated with a residual slime. His muscles were sore, but the pain was tolerable. Opening his eyes, he found that the ventilation port in his chest had been hooked up to a large oxygen tank. His scarred lungs rejoiced, finally provided with breathable air once again. He already felt stronger for it. But before he could test himself, he heard the faint whirring of a prosthetic hand. Obi-Wan sat beside him fiddling with what Anakin recognized as a puzzle cube designed to test and enhance dexterity. 

“Obi-Wan.” Anakin’s voice was gravelly, but audible. And it was his own. 

The older man glanced up. “Anakin,” he said with a smile, setting the puzzle cube aside. He leaned forward onto his knees. “How are you feeling?”

Anakin hummed. “Much better,” he said confidently. “What about you?”

“I’m fine, Anakin.” He held up the puzzle cube. “Still testing this out,” he explained. 

Anakin laughed. “Trust me, my old master. It’s not the one getting tested.”

Obi-Wan tried to scowl, but couldn’t contain the smile behind his eyes. 

Anakin glanced around. “Where’s Padmé?” He asked. 

“She said she was heading down to the commissary.”

Anakin’s mouth watered at the mere thought of food. “You think the med droids would let me head down there, too?”

“Oh, absolutely not. They’re insistent that I don’t leave the medbay, and that you don’t wander more than five feet from your bed.”

Anakin eyed the tube that disappeared into his chest. “Yeah, that tracks.” He sighed and tossed away his blanket. “But I can’t just sit here.”

“Anakin-“

“Relax; I’ll be fine.” The young man swung his legs over the edge of his bed, pleased to find that they weren’t the tottering deathtraps that the Emperor had given him, and stood freely, grinning smugly at Obi-Wan. “See?” His smile was already slipping. 

“The only thing I see is how pale you are,” Obi-Wan chastised as he got to his feet. 

Anakin’s head started to spin. “Oh, kark-“

“Anakin!”

Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin from under the arms and all but shoved him into the chair he’d been sitting in moments before. Anakin groaned, leaning against his thighs and staring at the floor. 

“I think I’m gonna pass out,” he muttered. “That, or puke. I don’t even know if I can still do that.”

“Serves you right,” Obi-Wan said sternly. He placed a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Anakin took a moment to respond, breathing in time with the ventilator. He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He lifted his head, the color returning to what small amount of skin could be seen, and smiled at Obi-Wan almost shyly. “Help me up?”

“Oh, give it a rest.” He took Anakin’s hand and pulled him slowly to his feet. With one hand against his chest and his other arm under his arms, he helped his friend make the few steps it took to get back to his bed, then helped him up. “You should have listened to me.”

“Yeah, I know.” Anakin grabbed the puzzle cube from the side table where the older man had left it. “But you know how restless I get.”

“Everyone in the galaxy knows how restless you get, Ani,” Padmé teased as she came into the room with a tray of food. She passed Obi-Wan a bowl of unseasoned grain, and Anakin some sweet fruit paste. Anakin grumbled his complaints while Obi-Wan scowled at his meal. 

“You both just got out of surgery,” Padmé retorted. “This was all they would give me for the two of you.”

“I’d hardly call it surgery,” said Obi-Wan. 

“Until the anesthetic has left your system, you need to stick to simple foods.” She turned her attention to her husband. “Sorry.”

Anakin shrugged. “Better than nothing.” He gave his wife’s hand a small squeeze. “Thank you.”

She smiled. Then, as though remembering something, her expression turned somber. “Senator Organa said we can stay here for another two rotations,” she explained. “He’ll give us a ship, and medical supplies, but we’ll be on our own after that.”

“Cliegg, Owen, and Beru seemed willing to take Padmé and the children into their care,” Obi-Wan mused. “We could head for Tatooine.”

“The Emperor doesn’t even know they exist,” Anakin added. 

“Then it sounds like as safe a bet as any.” Padmé reached for Anakin’s cheek to kiss him, then thought better of it, pulling back. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright. I can take it.” He placed Padmé’s palm on his cheek. It still stung, but he was able to relax into the touch. “Where are the kids?” He asked as she kissed his forehead. 

“Upstairs. They’ve got nurse droids taking care of them for now. You’ll be able to see them as soon as you’re able to stand, okay?”

Anakin stared down at his now half-eaten bowl. “Padmé, I . . . I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

She took his face in both hands. “You’re here now. That’s what I care about.”

“Still. What I did . . . It’s unforgivable.” He closed his eyes. “And it was so stupid.”

“Palpatine used you, Anakin.” Obi-Wan’s voice was steady and soft. “He manipulated you. You are not the only one to blame. And now you’ve come to see the light again. You’re trying to do the right thing, which is far more than anyone can say for him.”

Anakin reached for Obi-Wan’s hand and pulled him closer. “I know Jedi aren’t supposed to,” he said softly, “but that cruiser has clearly sailed.” He pulled his wife and his brother in arms into a hug as well as he could manage. “I love you both. I’d do anything to protect you and the kids.”

“Then get some rest,” Obi-Wan advised. “You’ll need your strength. Beyond that; live, so that you can be there for your family.”

“You’re part of that family, laserbrain,” Padmé teased. “But he’s right. And finish your food. You’re worse than Leia.”

“Already causing problems, huh?”

“Sounds like she takes after her father.”

* * *

The journey to Tatooine was long. Anakin, who had spent much of the last two days sleeping fitfully, was glad to have an oxygen tank strapped to his back as he sat on the floor of the barracks he shared with Padmé and their twins. He held Luke between his legs, protected from the hard metal plating by a pillow. Luke laughed and clapped, imitating the faces his father made, though he was restricted by his scarred, leathery skin. Luke cooed at him with a smile. 

“Oh yeah?” Anakin let the baby grab at his fingers, investigating them with wide blue eyes and babbling. “That’s amazing.”

Luke blew a raspberry. 

“I completely agree.”

Padmé chuckled from where she was feeding Leia. “What are you two talking about?”

“Modifications I was thinking about making to my prosthetics.” He pulled his fingers from Luke’s mouth. “He brings up a good point; I’m gonna have to make sure these things are safe to be around him and Leia.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” She frowned. “Think we could switch off? Leia won’t eat anymore.”

“Sure.” Anakin took the squirming bundle of his daughter into his arms, wincing slightly as the movement tugged on the freshly grafted synth-skin on his shoulder, and picked up the bottle Padmé set on the floor as she sat beside him. 

Leia, however, paid no attention to the bottle. She smacked at it and tried to squirm out of her father’s grip. 

“She might just be full,” Anakin reasoned. “They were kinda premature, weren’t they?”

“By a couple of weeks.” 

“So they’ve got small stomachs.” He lifted Leia to his better shoulder and gently patted her back. “They’ll eat less, but more frequently.”

“And how do you know all of that?”

Anakin chuckled. “Might’ve been reading up on parenting in my spare time.”

Padmé smiled. She leaned over to kiss his cheek, and he managed to restrict his flinching to a few muscles below his eye. “I love you, Anakin Skywalker.”

“I love you, Padmé Amidala.” He gently pressed his scarred lips to her soft cheek. “Across the galaxy and back.”

Leia burped and kicked Anakin in the ribs. 

“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” He kept his voice soft as he brought her to look at him. “You hungry now?”

Leia babbled at him. Her hands balled up into fists and she kicked the air. 

Anakin returned her to the crook of his elbow and picked up the bottle once more. “Are you a hungry little lady?”

Leia arched her back, reaching for the bottle. Anakin put the nipple where her mouth could reach it, and she dutifully suckled, looking up at him. 

“That’s my girl,” he whispered. “They’re strong kids, Padmé. Just in different ways. Leia’s a little smaller, but she’s fierce. Independent. Luke’s a little needier, but he’s built a little sturdier. They balance each other out.” He turned to Padmé. “Like us.”

“Hey, I can hold my own in a fight.”

“Never said you couldn’t.”

Padmé smirked. “You’ve got a strong mama, huh Lukey? Your mommy’s big and strong.” She lifted Luke above her head, bringing him down as he laughed. “Oh, yeah. You got a strong mommy.”

“One of the strongest women I’ve ever known,” Anakin added. “And the most beautiful.”

“Plus they’ve got a very handsome daddy.”

Anakin’s smile turned darker. “Not so much anymore.”

“Hey. These things take time.” Padmé stroked Anakin’s cheek. “I don’t care what you look like, Ani. You’re still the man I fell in love with. No matter how much hair you do or don’t have.”

“Even without ears?”

“Even without ears.”

Anakin grinned and pressed his mouth softly to Padmé’s. It was awkward at first, but she locked gently onto his scarred lips and guided him along. 

“This okay?”

Padmé hummed. “You’ll have plenty of time to practice.”

Anakin chuckled. “That bad, huh?”

“Not bad. Just lacking confidence.” 

Padmé leaned against Anakin’s shoulder, holding Luke in such a way that he could see his twin sister. Leia pushed away the bottle and flailed her arms in Luke’s direction. Her faint eyebrows furrowed together. Anakin responded in kind, shifting closer to his wife, and Leia kicked at Luke’s feet. Her hands opened and closed, still reaching for her brother. 

“Blast it- hang on.” Anakin got up onto his knees – which clanked against the metal floor, muffled only by the thin material of his pants – and moved so he and Padmé sat across from one another with the twins side by side. “There we go.”

Luke stared at his sister for a moment, then she smacked him. He laughed and smacked her back, then simply touched her face with clumsy hands. 

“Aw, they’re playing.” 

Padmé laughed. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for a brief, in-the-moment description of anakin burning on mustafar, along with some torture/abuse at the hands of sheev. it's not all that graphic, but i figured it's worth mentioning !!

The new respirator hummed quietly each time it emptied Anakin’s lungs. It was soft enough that he and Padmé could sleep in the same room without her waking, but he needed to have a separate bed with fresh sheets each night, sterilized through radiation. They were always slick with bacta when he woke. 

“I miss you,” he murmured one night as Padmé massaged the soothing gel into the charred skin of his back. “I miss waking up beside you. Your head on my shoulder.” He turned as much as he could, just barely able to see her from the corner of his eye. “It hurts to be so close to you and barely be able to touch.”

Padmé gave him a sad sort of smile and kissed his cheek, just below the large gash he’d received on Mustafar. “I know.”

Anakin closed his eyes. “. . . This is nice, though.” 

“It is.” Padmé resumed her work. “You’re already looking better.”

“Really?”

She hummed the affirmative. “It’s less irritated. And you’re not squirming as much, so I can only assume it doesn’t hurt as badly anymore.”

Anakin mulled it over. “Yeah,” he said softly. “It does feel better.” He chuckled. “Though that might have something to do with you.”

Padmé laughed. He relaxed further at the sweet, lilting sound. “I love you.” She gave his arm a squeeze. 

Anakin, his prostheses already removed, flexed the muscles under her hand in response. “I love you too.”

Once all of the burned skin was coated with bacta, Anakin leaned back onto his elbows to lay down, leaving Padmé to pull the blanket up to his neck. It was a bit restricting, but kept him clean. “Goodnight,” he called after her as she crossed the room. 

“Night, Ani.” She shut off the light. 

Anakin could hear her crawl into bed. He heard her breathing slow as she drifted off. He shut his eyes and meditated, clearing his mind. He ignored the tingling in his fingers. The itching of his synth-skin. Relaxed his face. Breathed in time with the respirator. Ignored the feeling of an electrified pin being pressed into the bottom of his foot. The irritation surrounding the ports in his abdomen. Relaxed his face. Breathed in time with the respirator. Ignored the burning sensation that covered his entire body. The pain at the ends of his limbs. Relaxed. Breathed. Ignored the feeling of a wild animal ravaging his throat. The stench of burning hair and flesh. The acrid smoke filling his lungs. The struggle to breathe with his suit disabled. The Emperor laughing to himself as he stumbled on his new legs. Electricity coursing through him as “motivation.” Obi-Wan shouting his name. The pained cry as his arm had been severed. The guilt. The shame. The anguish. He couldn’t relax. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t-

“ANAKIN!”

His eyes shot open. Both of the twins were crying loudly. Obi-Wan knelt over him, eyes wide and frantic. There was a dull ache in his shoulder. Dust and dirt from the floor stuck to the bacta. He couldn’t speak. His breaths were ragged and shallow as Obi-Wan reattached the respirator to his chest, flooding his lungs with oxygen. 

“You’re alright,” Obi-Wan said, trying to steady his voice. “You’re alright. Breathe.”

Anakin’s shoulders shook. His vision blurred as he made sense of the familiar adobe ceiling and walls. He fumbled to reach for Obi-Wan and pull him close, as he had with his mother when he was young, but found his arms too short to reach. He did his best to steady his breath. 

“That’s it. Good man.” Obi-Wan turned to Padmé, who had managed to quiet the twins to a whimper, each clutching the other’s hand. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Padmé admitted. “He just started screaming in his sleep. By the time he hit the floor, Luke and Leia were practically hysterical.”

Beru peeked her head into the room. “Everything alright?” She pointedly avoided looking at Anakin, limbless and shuddering on the floor, tangled in his blanket. “Padmé, do you want help with the twins?”

“Please.”

Anakin hung his head. “Sorry,” he breathed. 

“It’s not your fault,” Obi-Wan assured him. “What happened?”

“It was just a dream.”

“Sounds like some dream,” Beru commented. 

“Jedi don’t have nightmares.” Anakin paused. A defeated sigh escaped him. “But I don’t think I’m a Jedi anymore.”

“You’ve been through a lot in just the last week,” Padmé reasoned. “Nightmares are understandable.” She came over slowly, holding a squirming, whining Leia in her arms, and sat down beside him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Anakin stared at her. “What good would that do?”

“Anakin, you’ve been bottling everything up since the Jedi took you in. You haven’t had any real support. That’s why you reached such an extreme in the first place.” She put a hand on her husband’s cheek, and he turned into the contact. “When I had nightmares as a little girl, I would talk about them with my father. It helped just to have someone listen and be there for me.” She lifted his chin, gently compelling him to look up at her again. “Let me be there for you.”

He was quiet for a moment. He turned back to her hand and kissed her palm. “I was back on Mustafar,” he mumbled. “Burning.”

Obi-Wan’s expression fell. He stared intently at the floor. 

“I don’t hate you,” he assured his former master. “I’m-“

“I know.” Obi-Wan’s voice was soft; barely a whisper. “I know, Anakin.”

The young man let out a strangled noise; an odd sort of laughing sob. “He wanted me dependent.” His expression hardened. “A lapdog,” he spat. 

“Anakin-“

“He made that suit to  _torture_ me. And he took matters into his own hands when I didn’t want to obey.” Anakin looked up at Padmé. “He told me I _killed_ you.”

Padmé’s eyes widened. Her eyebrows knit together. “Ani . . .”

Anakin wouldn’t make eye contact. “Obi-Wan, I . . . I’m sorry about your hand.”

Obi-Wan blinked, caught off-guard by the apology. “Anakin, one of us clearly got off that ship in worse condition, and it wasn’t me.”

“I know. But when _I_ lost my hand, you were . . . I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I was worried about you. You were barely twenty cycles at the time.”

“Still. I tried not to show it, but adjusting to it was frustrating. It hurt, I couldn’t fight as well for a while, I-“ He sighed. “I was angry at myself for losing to Count Dooku. I never wanted any of that for you; even when we fought. And then you two came to help me; even though I tried to kill you less than a week ago.”

“Anakin, I’m just glad we all got out of there alive. It never mattered to me whether or not I stayed in one piece. My mission was to ensure Padmé’s safety — something I would have given my life to do.”

“And something I never asked for,” Padmé quipped. 

“Well, it’s a good thing I did it anyway, isn’t it? I thought it would be a miracle if we made it out with you and the twins intact, but to come back with Anakin alongside us?”

Padmé laughed. “Obi-Wan’s right.” She kissed her husband’s forehead. “We’re just happy to have you back.”

“And I’m happy to have you back,” Anakin replied. “And that I got to meet our kids.” He stroked Leia’s hair with the end of his arm. She looked up at him, having had some time to calm down, with her fist in her mouth. “I’d do anything for you guys.”

“Then stay,” Padmé whispered. “Stay with your family.”

“I promise. I’ll always be there for you three.”

Obi-Wan stood. “I think it’s time we went back to bed, then. Hm?”

“Right.” Padmé stood and returned Leia to her crib, then took Luke from Beru’s arms and rested him beside his sister. “Let’s get you off the floor. Obi-“

“I’ve got it.” Obi-Wan retrieved Anakin’s arms from where they sat by the end of the bed and attached them, then helped him with his legs and pulled him to his feet. The two of them used clean, gentle cloths to wipe away the dust and dirt from his cracked skin. 

Padmé smiled, still standing by the twins’ crib, rocking them slowly. “Thank you.”

“Of course. You’ve got two younglings to care for; it’s the least I can do.”

“We’re gonna hold you to that, Kenobi.”

“I would expect nothing less from you, Skywalker.”


	4. Chapter 4

For security, the small family changed their names fairly early on. 

“Kenobi wasn’t an uncommon name on Stewjon,” Obi-Wan reasoned. “I suppose I could take my father’s name; Ben Kenobi.”

“I’ll go by Nabs,” Padmé offered. “Short for Naberrie. It’s my family’s name, and was mine before I was elected queen. And I think we should use Lars for our surname.”

“Why Lars?” Anakin questioned. 

“Your mother became a Lars before she died. It would make sense for you to use it, and me as your wife. Plus, we’re living with your step-brother and his family. It’ll keep suspicion to a minimum.”

Anakin looked over to his children, playing on a mat with R2-D2 a few paces away. “Luke and Leia Lars.” He chuckled. “I guess there are worse names.”

“What about you?”

No response. Anakin’s smile fell slowly. “I don’t know.”

Obi-Wan bit his lip. “Did you have any ideas?”

“At first I wanted to honor my mother,” Anakin admitted. “But I’m not sure I deserve that legacy.”

Obi-Wan glanced at the chest across the room where he had packed away his and Anakin’s old Jedi robes and their lightsabers, along with Qui-Gon’s, which he had retrieved from the remains of the memorial in the temple. “You could use Jinn,” he suggested. 

Padmé followed Obi-Wan’s gaze. “He was a great man,” she mused. 

“He tried to free your mother, you know,” Obi-Wan told his former apprentice. “He didn’t want you to have to leave her behind. But Watto refused, and he knew that you needed to be trained.”

“He got me out of a fight once,” Anakin said, smiling at the memory. “I was scuffling with another kid. Can’t remember why. But Qui-Gon pulled me away. He made me feel . . .”

“Stronger,” Obi-Wan supplied. “More capable. I know. His presence was-“

“Steady. Exactly. Reassuring, in a way.” Anakin stood, only stumbling slightly on his way to kneel beside the astromech and bring Luke into his arms. He cooed gently. “That’s what I want to be for them.” He kissed his son’s forehead. 

Padmé gently traced her fingertips over the still-healing scar on her husband’s head. “Have I told you yet how attractive it is when you show what a good father you are?”

R2 whistled indignantly. 

“Save it, bucket brain. She’s a grown, married woman. She can flirt with me — her husband — if she wants to.”

R2 grumbled, wobbling from foot to foot to show his agitation. 

“Well it’s not like we’ve never done anything,” Anakin argued. “How do you think the twins got here in the first place?”

Obi-Wan stood. “And that’s my cue to leave the room. You two have fun.”

“Oh, please,” Padmé scoffed jokingly. “As if we’ll have the time or privacy for anything like that until they’re at least three.”

“Don’t underestimate my hearing, Naberrie. I heard the two of you last night.”

R2’s head spun quickly. He turned and left the room, bleeping and whistling his complaints loudly. 

“Oh? And what exactly did you hear?”

“More of you moaning his name than I’ve ever wanted.”

Anakin couldn’t help but smirk. He stood, putting one hand on Padmé’s shoulder, and drummed his gold-tipped fingers against her soft skin. “Told you you were being too loud,” he whispered in her ear. 

“Don’t lie; you love it when I get loud.”

“Mm. Always have.” He kissed her cheek. 

Padmé giggled, turning to kiss him back, but stopped when Leia started to fuss on the floor. She knelt to bring her into her lap and helped her sit. “Do you not want Mommy and Daddy to have kissy time? Hm?” She took Leia’s hands and moved them through the air, smiling. “Are you a pesky little girl?”

Leia sniffled. 

“Oh, Lei.” Padmé lifted Leia slightly and took a quick sniff. “Okay, come on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a short one (like . Super Short oops) bc i felt like i should establish everyone's pseudonyms ,, they'll come into play later on :3cc bt i didn’t wanna draw it out too long so i figured i’d post it over the weekend ! regular updates will continue this wednesday 💖


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [slaps my own ass] [but not in a sexy way] [more in a racehorse way] [like that one post abt slapping ur own ass like a cowboy slapping his horses hindquarters to jostle it along but ur both th horse n rider combined into one vaguely stressed n very fast creature] [it's a good post]

A little over two cycles had passed since the small family had gone into hiding on Tatooine. Padmé’s hair had lightened to a coppery tone in the hot sun, and been cut short, just above her shoulders and tucked behind her ears. Anakin took to wearing a wrap around his head when he left the house, protecting both his scarred skin and his identity. Obi-Wan purposefully abandoned his Coruscanti accent and let his hair grow scraggly and unkempt. Luke asked endless questions, and Leia got into endless trouble. They avoided the stormtroopers that patrolled the spaceports. They laid low. 

They were safe. 

“Jinn!” Owen called from outside. “Gimme a hand with this vaporator!”

Anakin looked over at R2. “Go see what he wants,” he told the droid. “I’m a little busy.”

R2 beeped, indignant. 

“Yeah, I know. I know. But I’m alone with two toddlers at the moment, so you’re gonna have to do.”

There was a sharp whistle as the astromech turned and left. 

“Language,” Anakin called after him. “Hold still, Luke. I’m almost done.”

Luke whined, squirming on the changing table.

“I know, I know. You’ve got better things to do. But we gotta get this over with.” He was quick and practiced with his task, and finished the diaper change quickly, then set Luke on the floor. “Now go play,” he said, ruffling his son’s hair. 

Luke sat on the floor, resuming his game with Leia and her toy starcruiser. She said something that Anakin couldn’t quite place and, satisfied, he left the room. R2 whirred at him, clearly irritated. 

“Yeah, yeah.” He knocked the droid’s dome-shaped head as he passed. “What’s wrong, Owen?”

“Just hold it open,” Owen said, glaring inside the machine. “I can see the problem, but it’s too far in for me to reach.”

“Alright.” Anakin knelt down to hold open the small spring-loaded panel. He figured this would be as good a time as any to meditate, closing his eyes and slowly losing himself in the force. 

And then he heard Leia crying from inside. 

Anakin hung his head. “Are you done?” He asked, somewhat impatient. 

“Just about. Couple more minutes.”

The young father glanced into the house. “R2!” He called. “Can you check on the kids?”

The droid let out a few quick chirps as he whizzed off. Anakin could hear him whistle and beep faintly through the walls of the house. Leia’s crying grew quieter in the few minutes it took Owen to finish his repairs to the vaporator, and he entered the room to see her sniffling with Luke holding one of her hands. 

“I kissed it better,” Luke explained with a smile. 

“Thanks, Luke.” Anakin gave his son a pat on the head, then pulled Leia up into his arms, settling her on his hip. “What happened, Lei?”

Leia held up a finger. “Spaceship,” she said, as though that was the only explanation anyone needed. 

“Oh no.” Anakin inspected the finger in question. No blood, bruising, or broken skin. “You think it’s gonna have to come off?”

Leia smiled, laughing between her tears, and shook her head. 

“That’s good.” He gave it a kiss and set her down, but she grabbed his thumb and little finger and pulled to keep him from leaving. “What’s up?”

“Daddy come play!”

“Leia, I’ve gotta-“

“Please Daddy?” Leia kept tugging on his hand. The strain on the circuitry of where it connected to his residual limb was uncomfortable, but he couldn’t help swelling with pride at her strength. 

Nevertheless, Anakin furrowed his brow at his daughter, considering the new leg he’d been constructing for C-3PO, still on his workbench. He eventually allowed himself to be pulled down to the floor. “Just for a little bit,” he said, trying to be stern, but the grin on his face betrayed him. 

“You be this one.” Luke handed him the newest addition to his collection; a miniature Delta-7B that Obi-Wan had carved and painted to keep his dexterity practiced. 

“Wow, cool.” Anakin turned it over in his hands, idly wondering where his old master had gotten the wood for it. “You like this one?”

Luke nodded. “Unca’ Ben gave it to me.”

“Y’know, I used to fly one of these.”

Luke’s eyes widened. “Really?!”

“Mm-hm. All over the galaxy. I wanted to see every planet in every system.”

“Did you?” Leia asked, the toys forgotten. 

“Not yet. But now I can show you two all the coolest places in the galaxy once you get a little older.” 

“I wanna see!” Luke exclaimed. 

“No, I wanna!” Leia retorted, giving Luke a shove. 

“But I wanna!” He shoved her back. 

“Hey, come on. No fighting.” Anakin pulled one twin to each side of himself. “Leia, say you’re sorry.”

She folded her arms. 

“Leia?”

The little girl hesitated for a moment. “Sorry, Lukey.”

“Good. Luke, you too.”

“But I wanna go, Daddy!”

“You’ll both come with me, Luke. But you can’t push your sister. It’s not nice.”

Luke looked down at the floor. “‘M sorry, Leia.”

“Good job.” Anakin hoisted one twin onto each thigh. “You two gonna make up?”

Luke threw his arms around his sister. She yelped, but returned the gesture with a grin, and Anakin gave the two of them a gentle squeeze. 

“Feel better now?”

“Yeah.” Leia hopped up from her father’s lap and picked up one of the model starships, making it whizz through the air, complete with sound effects. 

“How much planets did you see?” Luke asked. 

“I don’t know,” Anakin answered. “There were so many of them; I kinda lost count.”

“Wow.” Luke took his father’s hand, staring him intently in the eye. “You gotta show us.”

“One day, Luke.” He ruffled the little boy’s hair. 

Beru entered the room. Her eyes were wide. “Stormtroopers,” she whispered loudly. 

Anakin tensed. He took Luke’s hand and stood, reaching out for Leia. “What do they want?”

“They came for water.” She shoved a bundle of cloth into his chest; his wrap and poncho. He could feel the hilt of his lightsaber through the material. “But they saw you outside with Owen. He’s trying to buy you time. You need to get out of here.”

Anakin put on the poncho and started to wrap the scarf around his head and face. “Beru-“

“Just go!”

Luke’s eyes were welling with tears. “Daddy-“

“Beru, I can’t leave without Padmé and Obi-Wan.”

“They just came back from town. They’re already waiting for you and the kids around back with the droid. Please, Anakin, go.”

He only hesitated for a second before nodding. “Thank you.” He clipped his lightsaber to his belt and hoisted Luke onto his hip, followed by Leia. “Come on.”

“Daddy, ‘m scared,” Luke murmured, clutching Anakin’s poncho. 

“I know, Lukey. It’s okay.” 

“Where are we going?” Leia asked. 

“Somewhere safe.” 

“Anakin!” Padmé hissed from the speeder as he emerged from the house. “Come on!”

Anakin clambered into the speeder, and was still settling the twins into the backseat beside R2-D2 as Obi-Wan sped off. 

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Leia asked. 

“Don’t worry about it, sweetie.” Padmé pointed to an outcropping of rocks. “There!”

The speeder fishtailed as Obi-Wan turned sharply. Luke’s crying, which had been drowned out by the wind, came to his parents’ attention when they stopped a few hundred paces away from a pile of boulders against a cliffside. Anakin and Obi-Wan leapt from the vehicle, thrusting out their hands, lifting the large rocks with the force to reveal a cave, inside of which they’d hidden the Alderaanian ship they’d arrived on. 

“R2, get Nabs and the kids on board and get ready to takeoff and jump!”

“Mama, I’m scared!” Luke wailed. 

“I know, honey. It’s gonna be okay.” She pulled him and Leia into her arms and ran for the entrance to the cave. A blaster bolt glanced off a rock beside her, and Leia’s grip tightened as she started to cry. 

Anakin glared at the two, three, four stormtroopers who were pulling up on speeder bikes. Igniting his lightsaber, he raised a hand, grabbing one of them by the throat and throwing him harshly aside. 

“Jinn, don’t-!” Obi-Wan shouted, but he cut himself off as he deflected a bolt into the ground. 

“Just get to the ship!” Anakin lifted another trooper and sent him flying back through the air. 

Obi-Wan deflected another bolt, this one landing directly in the third trooper’s chest. “Anakin, this is not the Jedi way!”

The younger man’s eyes flashed gold as he raised the final stormtrooper. “And I am not a Jedi.” He made a fist. The trooper’s body went limp, and he was dropped to the ground.

Obi-Wan glanced at the three visible men lying dead in the sand. “The Force Grip is a forbidden technique,” he chastised through grit teeth. 

“So is mou kei,” Anakin muttered, starting towards the ship. “Come on.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Come on.”

Obi-Wan set his shoulders and rounded on his former apprentice. “I thought you said-“

“I’m not-!”

“Would you have rather I’d used shiak? Or sai cha?”

“I’d rather you not be such a hypocrite, and I’d certainly rather you not treat me like I’m still your ten year old padawan!”

Obi-Wan stopped for a moment, watching as Anakin continued into the cave. “Is that what you think?” He jogged to catch up. “Anakin, I lost you to the dark side once. I’m not going to lose you again.”

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. “I will do what I have to do to protect my family,” he said lowly. “Dark, light; whatever. It doesn’t matter to me. I left the order, and I left Sidious. I’m not going to be bound by either of their codes. So long as my wife and my son and my daughter are safe. That’s all that matters.”

“Anakin . . .” Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll discuss this later.”

“There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Nothing to- there is plenty to discuss! Tell me, how far would you go? Would you kill an innocent man? A child?” He paused. “Me, perhaps?”

Anakin sighed. He leaned against the hydraulic pillar connected to the ramp that allowed entrance to the ship. “I fought you once, Obi-Wan. And I lost.” He turned to his former master. “If I truly believed that going up against you again would be a good idea, I would be too far gone to be any good for them.” His voice was soft. “If I fall that far again, I trust you to be the good man they deserve.”

Obi-Wan was quiet. He threw his arms around Anakin’s neck and held him tightly. “And I will do everything in my power to live up to that level of trust.”

Anakin hugged back, just as intensely as ever. He clapped Obi-Wan’s shoulder as they broke apart. “Let’s get off this dustball before more of their friends show up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mou kei, shiak, n sai cha are all marks of contact frm legends !  
> -" **Mou kei** is a forbidden variant, literally meaning "to dismember." It involves the act of cutting through several limbs at once." i find this one funny bc obi-wan commented on it in the jedi path sayin tht he'd never use such a mark, n. well. we all know how tht went.  
> -" **Shiak** , the second fundamental mark, pierces an opponent with the blade's point." the diagram shows tht it usually goes thru th chest so now we can put a name to qui gon's death i guess ??  
> -" **Sai cha** is the act of cutting an enemy's head from his shoulders. It is never the intention of a Jedi to extinguish a fellow life, for even the worse of us exists as a luminous being in the warmth of the Force. But when required, a lightsaber can also kill. If a shiak thrust through the heart cannot be done, this is the preferred method for a fatality."


	6. Chapter 6

Luke held Leia’s hand tightly. She stood slightly in front of him, looking up curiously at the golden man talking to R2-D2. 

“No,” Luke whined. He pulled her back slightly. 

“He’s nice,” Leia assured him. She stepped forward to touch his leg, which was hard and cold. It reminded her of her father. “Daddy?”

The golden man looked down at her and Luke. “Ah! You must be Master Anakin and Senator Padmé’s little ones.”

R2 whistled. 

“Hmm. Right. Mistress Padmé. Regardless, I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. This is my counterpart; R2-D2. I hear that you already know him quite well.”

Leia giggled and clapped. “C-3!” 

“Indeed.” 3PO turned to R2. “Which of them is which, again?”

“I’m Leia!” The little girl brought her brother forward. “He’s Luke.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Leia. And you as well, Master Luke.”

Luke looked to Leia, then back up at 3PO. “Hi,” he said shyly. “Who’s Anakin and Pa-may?”

“Oh. Are they using pseudonyms? Hm. Just as well.” 3PO leaned down as much as possible without falling over. “My, how you’ve grown. The two of you were mere newborns the last time I saw you.”

Leia clambered up onto a nearby row of seats. “How come we don’t know you?” 

“I was instructed to remain on board this ship. I awoke from low power mode every few months in order to ensure everything was in working order, should your parents and Master Kenobi require a means of escape.”

“Escape?” Luke’s eyes widened. “We’re running away?”

“I’m afraid so, Master Luke.”

“Why?”

“Because there are very bad people out there looking for us,” Obi-Wan explained. He lifted Luke into his arms and sat beside Leia. “We need to keep you safe.”

“What do they want?” Leia’s expression was serious. 

Obi-Wan drew his mouth into a thin line. “They want your father,” he said softly. “But they’re not going to get him, so don’t worry about any of that.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive, Luke. Nobody is going to hurt you. Or any of us, for that matter.”

“But I’m scared.”

“Why’s that?”

“I- I don’t-“ Tears welled up in his eyes. 

“No no no, it’s alright. We’re safe.” Obi-Wan bounced him on his knee to no avail. “Everything’s okay, Luke.”

Leia looked up at Obi-Wan. “Unca’ Ben?”

“What is it?”

“It’s okay if you’re scared sometimes.” She reached out for his arm. “Mommy says fear can keep us outta trouble. We jus’ gotta make sure we keep control.”

Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment as she crawled onto his lap and hugged her brother. “Master Yoda was right,” he commented. He rubbed Luke’s back, relaxing slightly as his cries grew quieter. “Younglings truly do have a unique wisdom.”

“It’s ’cause Mommy’s real smart,” Leia informed him. 

R2 let out a low whir and nudged against 3PO’s leg. 

“I know, R2,” 3PO said softly. “Master Obi-Wan, perhaps you should help the children become acclimated with the cabins the five of you will be staying in? R2-D2 and I have missed quite a bit of time together.”

“You can just tell me to leave, 3PO. I’ve been living with two married couples for over two cycles.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Obi-Wan lifted Luke onto his hip and took Leia by the hand. “Do you want to see your new rooms?”

Leia shook her head. “I wanna see Mommy.”

The man let out a tense sigh. “She and your daddy are a bit busy. Maybe-“

“I wanna see Mommy too,” Luke interrupted. He squirmed, eager to get down, and Obi-Wan was left with no choice out of fear of dropping the boy. He was set on the ground and took his sister’s hand as Obi-Wan led the two of them to the cockpit. 

“It would seem you have fans,” he remarked as they entered the room. 

“Hey, y’little womp rats,” Anakin called out from underneath part of the console. 

Leia laid down next to her father. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m scrambling the ship’s signature.”

“Why?”

“So the stormtroopers can’t find us.”

“Why?”

“Because, kiddo.” He paused to kiss her forehead. “We gotta stay safe.” He closed the tiny panel he’d been working in. 

Luke sat on his knees on Anakin’s other side. “Are they gonna hurt us?”

“Of course not, Luke.” Anakin sat up and pulled both of his children closer. “Me and Mommy and Uncle Ben are gonna make sure nobody hurts you.”

“But they wanna.”

The young father sighed. He set his jaw and squared his shoulders, centering himself before he spoke. “Yes, Luke. They want to hurt us. Me, mostly.” He hoisted them into his lap. “But we’re all gonna protect each other, okay? So long as we keep moving, we’ll be fine. I promise.” 

Luke snuggled into his father’s chest. “‘M sorry,” he mumbled.

“Hey. Don’t be sorry, Lukey. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Leia scowled, wriggling away and standing with her arms folded. “I’m gonna protect Daddy from the bad guys,” she declared. “And Mommy and Unca’ Ben.”

Padmé slid down to the floor and pulled Leia into her lap. “Thank you, Lei. You’re very brave.”

Leia grinned up at her mother. 

Anakin’s smile was tense. “Nabs, don’t encourage her.”

She gave her husband a look. “Why not?”

“Because if she’s anything like her father,” Obi-Wan interrupted, “she’ll have no trouble getting into trouble on her own without trying to save our skins.”

Leia huffed. “I wanna fight bad guys,” she grumbled. 

“You don’t have to fight to be strong, Lei,” Anakin assured her, inching over to sit beside Padmé. “You guys saved my life. I’ll spend every day returning the favor.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile. 

“You sap,” Padmé teased, and kissed him on the lips. She handed Leia off to her father and sat in the pilot’s seat, flipping switches. “We’ll be out of hyperspace soon,” she announced. “Where do we go?”

“Tatooine’s out of the question,” Anakin murmured. “So are Coruscant, Alderaan, Naboo . . . Most civilized planets. We need somewhere remote.”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. “It’ll be easier to slip into a dense human population unnoticed. We’ll stick out if there are no other humans around.”

“It might be safer to steer clear of the Core Worlds,” Padmé added. 

“But staying in the Outer Rim makes us predictable,” Obi-Wan reminded them, “and predictable is vulnerable.”

“Regardless, we shouldn’t take our chances with, say, Corellia. The place will be crawling with stormtroopers.” Anakin adjusted Luke in his lap. “The Republic had the Core Worlds secure before the Clone Wars ever started; getting in or out would be next to impossible without being recognized.”

The console beeped. “We’re coming up on something,” Padmé told them. “Looks like a water world. Anyone ever heard of Lew’el?”

“Only very vaguely,” Obi-Wan said. “From history lessons when I was a youngling.”

“I may or may not have cheated on those tests.”

“Perfect. The Empire will never suspect a thing.”

The ship landed on an island with a small city and several villages surrounding a lagoon on the south side. As the bay doors opened, the five of them were greeted by pale green grass that led down to a rocky shore. A sandy path had been worn from centuries of use, beckoning them down to clear blue water that sparkled in the sun. The breeze was warm, but not suffocatingly so, as it was on Tatooine. It blew Luke’s hair off of his forehead as he ran down to the shoreline. 

“Wait for me!” Leia called out after him, but then stopped partway, distracted by a patch of flowers. 

“I’ll get him,” Padmé said, jogging down the sandy trail to scoop Luke into her arms. He giggled and shrieked with delight. 

“Daddy, Daddy, look!” Leia excitedly held up her fist. “Look what I got!”

“What’s up, princess?” Anakin knelt down as Leia opened her hand to reveal a relatively large insect. 

“What is it?” She asked, not taking her eyes off it. She poked at it with her other hand. 

“Looks like a water beetle,” Anakin said, taking it carefully from her. “I once ate a whole bunch of these to gross out your uncle Ben.”

“Eww!” Leia laughed. “Gross!” 

“Oh, is that so? Do you wanna try it?”

“Daddy, no!” Leia took the bug back and set it down in the grass. Her attention was brought back to the flowers. “What’s that?”

“Those are flowers.” Anakin picked one and tucked it into his daughter’s hair. “Your mommy used to wear lots of these.”

“They’re pretty!”

“Not as pretty as you.”

Leia giggled. She pointed up at the sky. “What’s that?”

“That’s a cloud. Sometimes they get so full of water that it comes down from the sky.”

“Wow.” 

Obi-Wan came to sit on the ground beside his former padawan. “Hopefully you don’t mind the sand too much.”

“Ha-ha, very funny.” Anakin picked another flower and stuck it behind Obi-Wan’s ear. “Mm, still needs work. Lei, you wanna help make Uncle Ben pretty?”

Leia’s eyes widened. 

“Leia, there’s really no need-“ Obi-Wan tried to protest, but the little girl was already excitedly pulling up flowers and putting them haphazardly on his head. 

“Pretty Ben, pretty Ben!” She cheered. 

Obi-Wan tried to glare, but Leia’s delight was overpowering, and he couldn’t keep himself from breaking out into a grin as Anakin laughed. He scrunched up his nose as stems were woven into his beard. 

“The things I do for children,” he said incredulously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes that was a reference to anakin eats live bugs


	7. Chapter 7

A month had passed. Obi-Wan and Padmé had introduced themselves to the locals, then set to work helping Anakin build the five of them a modest house on the outskirts of a nearby village. The walls were stone, lined on the inside with wood and thatch. The roof was thatch, too, with a stone chimney at one end. The stone floor of the fireplace extended outward with a meter radius before being replaced by wooden planks, which covered the ground of the rest of the house, excluding the refresher. 

Anakin bought a woven carpet for the floor of the bedroom, and Padmé helped him put together three bedframes to fit the mattresses from the ship. Obi-Wan put shelves on the walls to hold the interesting stones and shells that Luke picked off the beach. The table, chairs, and food storage were bought from a nearby craftsman. His daughter offered to teach Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan to fish, which helped them with their quickly dwindling food supply. 

One morning, however, rather than pulling on his wetsuit and boots, Anakin donned a simple tunic and slacks, stepping out into the early morning and sitting in the grass, still wet with dew. He closed his eyes and rested his hands on his knees, clearing his mind. 

Leia nudged Luke out of the way and peered at him through the window. “What’s he doing?” She asked. 

Luke shrugged. “He’s just sitting.”

Leia scowled. “Why’s he been sitting so long?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he fell asleep.”

“I’ll go wake him up.”

“Wait, Leia!”

Leia scrambled off the couch and opened the front door. She approached Anakin quietly, keeping a careful watch on his expression. “Daddy?”

Anakin smiled. “Yes, princess?”

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m meditating.” He opened one eye. “You can sit down and join me, if you want.”

Leia sat down, mimicking her father’s position. “What now?”

“Close your eyes. Try to clear your mind. Focus on taking a deep breath.” He demonstrated a couple of times, breathing in time with his respirator. Leia followed his lead as Luke came over to sit in the grass beside her. 

“What are we doing?” He whispered. 

“Meditating,” Leia whispered back. “Shush.”

“Just focus on your breathing for now.” Anakin paused for a moment. “What do you hear?”

“Birds,” Luke said. 

“The water,” answered Leia. 

Obi-Wan sat in the grass a few paces away. He closed his eyes, but listened in on the conversation between the young father and his children. 

“Good. Now, what do you feel? What’s around you?”

“I can feel my pants.”

“Me too.”

“Anything else?”

Leia’s face scrunched up. “The grass. It’s itchy.”

“It’s better than sand,” Luke replied with a smile. 

“Luke, what do you feel?”

“Wind.” He turned his face upwards. “The sun.”

“Good job.” Anakin could feel the twins relaxing across from him. “You wanna know something?”

“What?”

“The wind, the sun, the water — even the grass and the birds — they all come from something called the Force.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s like an energy. It connects everything and everyone in the whole galaxy.”

“Us too?”

“Us too. Now, keep your eyes closed. See if you can feel it.”

Luke furrowed his brow. “It’s like . . .”

“A light,” Leia supplied. “Like a hug made outta light.”

“Yeah.”

“Good. How does it make you feel inside?”

“Calm,” Luke said after a moment of thought. “Safe.”

“It’s kinda like Mommy.”

Anakin couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“Daddy, is the Force a person?” Leia asked. 

“No, it’s not a person. But it’s always with us, even when we feel like we’re all alone. It lives inside of us and keeps us strong.”

“I like it,” Luke declared. “I like the Force.”

“I’m glad. You can stay, if you want. But I’m gonna be quiet now. Okay?”

“Okay.” Luke got to his feet. “I’m gonna look for more rocks.”

“Don’t go too far from the house.”

“I won’t.” He paused on his way to the trail down to the shore. “Hi, Unca’ Ben!”

“Hello, Luke.” Obi-Wan held a finger to his lips. “Quiet time right now, understood?”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

“Quite alright.”

Leia sat still for a good five minutes, only moving to scratch at her nose, before she opened her eyes and leaned forward. “Daddy?” She whispered. 

“What is it?”

“Can I sit in your lap?”

Anakin sighed, but there was still a smile on his face. “Alright.” He pulled her close and turned her around so that her back was steady against his chest. “That okay? No metal plates hurting you?”

“No. This is good.”

“Good to hear. Now shh.”

“Got it.” She closed her eyes again and leaned back, her head resting just above the large ventilator port in his chest. 

Leia marveled silently over the things she could hear and feel. The birds sang in the trees. The waves lapped gently against the beach, but crashed against the rocks. The grass tickled the bottoms of her feet, which were draped over Anakin’s shins. The breeze was light and smelled faintly of salt. The sun warmed her cheeks. She smiled and leaned further into her father’s chest. Her head lolled to the side, and her breathing slowed ever so slightly as she drifted off to sleep. 

Pictures floated in and out of her mind, wavering like her reflection in the bath. The beach. Hands picking up and dusting off shells and stones. Swimming in the clear blue water. Laying on the sandy shore in the warm light of the sun. No — the suns. Twin suns. A woman she didn’t recognize spoke with a soft voice. A young man shook her hand. Her mother, with her hair long and dark, and no wrinkles around her eyes. A young blond boy with a curious look on his face. His face shifted and his hair grew shorter and darker. There was a small scar by his eye. He laughed, and she recognized the sound. 

“Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“I can see you.” She smiled. “You’ve got pretty hair.”

Anakin gently wrapped his arms around his daughter. “Thanks, Lei.”

Leia opened her eyes and looked up at her father. “Who was that lady? She seemed sad.”

“You saw a lady?”

“Yeah. She had brown hair. There was sand in it.”

Anakin tensed. “My mother.” His tongue was thick in his mouth. “Your grandma, Shmi.”

“Why was she sad?”

Anakin bit his lips and drew them into a thin line. “Because she had a very hard life,” he said simply. “I don’t like talking about it.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes me sad.”

“Why?”

“Because I miss her.”

“Can we go see her?”

“No, Leia. She died before you were born.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her hands. “Are you sad?”

“Yeah. I miss her a lot.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, kiddo. You don’t have to be sorry.” Anakin opened his eyes and stroked Leia’s hair. “She would’ve loved you and Luke.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. 

“She’d be proud of you,” Obi-Wan said gently. He kept his eyes closed. “I know I am.”

Anakin turned to the older man. His words caught in his throat. 

“You’re a good father. Isn’t he, Leia?”

“Yeah! Daddy’s great!” Leia wriggled to lie down in Anakin’s lap and hug his waist. “I love Daddy.”

Tears sprang to Anakin’s eyes. He wiped them away with his sleeve. “I love you too, princess.”

“I’m gonna play with Luke now.”

He couldn’t help laughing at the abrupt change in topic. “Okay. Stay outta trouble.”

“We will!”

Anakin watched her disappear down the path before laying back in the grass, putting his hands behind his head and looking up at the clouds rolling across the sky. 

“I mean it.”

Anakin turned. “Mean what?”

“That your mother would be proud of the man you’ve become.” Obi-Wan smiled. “I didn’t really care for you when we first met, but I couldn’t argue with her sentiment. You deserved better than a slave’s life. And now look at you; you have a wife and two beautiful children.”

“I wish she could’ve met them.”

“I know. I’m sure she’d be glad to see what a loving father you are.”

“I’m just trying to do what she would.”

“Which is exactly my point.” Obi-Wan opened one eye, glancing at his once-padawan almost smugly. “Plus, you finally got off that damned sandball.”

Anakin laughed. “Yeah. Having to run away kriffing sucked, but once we were safely in hyperspace? You have no idea how relieved I was.”

“Actually, I do. I could feel it on the other end of the ship. It was almost overwhelming to be anywhere near you.”

“Not the point.” He looked back up at the sky. “No more of that suffocating dry heat. No more Hutts. No more of that sleemo Watto. I never have to go back there again.”

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed. He opened his eyes. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course I do. There’s no reason to.”

“What about Owen and Beru?”

Anakin’s smile fell. “They’re dead.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I know the Empire. I know Sheev.” He sighed. “If they couldn’t get the information he wanted out of them, there was no way they would leave them in peace.” He closed his eyes again, his hands now resting on his stomach. “They’re dead. There’s no point in ever going back there.”

Obi-Wan’s gaze fell. “I see.”

“If you’re about to tell me you miss that miserable-“

“Stars, no! I just . . .” He sighed. “We lived with them for a long time. It wouldn’t be absurd for you to miss them.”

“I do, Ben. But they knew what they were getting into. They chose to give their lives for ours. I’m not gonna throw that away.”

Obi-Wan looked up at the sky. “I suppose if you look at it that way,” he murmured. 

“I do. I’ll honor their sacrifice, and I’m not happy they’re gone, but . . .” He shrugged. “So long as Padmé and the kids are safe. And, you, of course.” He paused. “And I’m glad to be here for them.”

“. . . They’re really all that matters to you.”

“They’re my whole life now. I can’t imagine prioritizing anything above them.”

Just as Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply, Luke and Leia came running over the crest of the hill leading up to the house. Luke excitedly shoved a spiraling, cone-shaped shell in Anakin’s face. 

“Daddy, look what I found! Isn’t it pretty?”

Anakin took it and turned it over in his hand. “It’s very pretty,” he confirmed. “Why don’t you two go see if Mommy’s up yet? You can show it to her.”

“Okay!” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is another short one jlsjdlksj oops ;;

Months later, Padmé’s breath danced lightly across Anakin’s scarred chest as she rested her head on his shoulder. She gently pressed a kiss to his skin, and he chuckled. 

“Can’t sleep?” He asked softly. 

“It’s not that,” she replied. “I’ve just missed this.”

Anakin hummed. “I know what you mean.” The joints in his fingers whirred, barely audible, as he played idly with her hair. “The peace and quiet.”

She lifted her head to kiss his lips, slow and sweet. He smiled into it. His other hand drifted down to lovingly squeeze her hip. She bit his lower lip and pulled teasingly. 

“Unless you don’t want quiet,” he laughed as she released him. “What’s up, Nabs?”

“I think you know, Jinn.” She ran her thumb across his lip, then delicately brushed her fingertips against his scalp and kissed the spot where his jaw met his neck. “It’s been a while, hm?”

Anakin sighed contentedly. “Is Ben still out?”

“Yeah.”

“And the kids-?”

“-Are playing outside.” She kissed her way down his neck. She paused as she landed on his collarbones. “They’ll be fine. We can take some time for ourselves.”

Anakin relaxed. He tucked a lock of Padmé’s copper hair behind her ear. “Are you sure? About this, I mean.”

“Of course I am.” She kissed him on the lips again. “I love you.” And then, laughing, “I’ll say it a million times if that’s what it takes to get it through your thick skull.”

Anakin chuckled and kissed her back, pulling her further on top of him and sneaking his fingers beneath the fabric of her shirt. “Stars, I love you.”

“I know you do.” Padmé straddled Anakin’s hips and pulled away to run her hands over his chest. She licked her lips and sighed, squeezing his strong shoulders. “But right now I just want to take care of you,” she whispered in his ear. 

Anakin let out a shaky breath. “Padmé,” he said softly, like some sacred, holy secret. 

“Yes, Anakin?” 

Anakin bit his lip. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. He cupped her face in his hands for a moment. “So perfect.”

She smiled at him. “Just for you,” she reminded him. She kissed his chest, even brushing her lips against the cool metal that surrounded his ventilator port. Her fingers danced down his sides, and then her hands pressed against him, feeling the firm muscle beneath his scarred skin. “You’re amazing.”

“Am I?”

“Of course.” Her breath was warm against him. She came up to lock her lips with his again, one hand on his hip and the other on his shoulder. “Your looks aren’t the only reason I fell in love with you.” Another kiss. “You’re strong-“ a kiss, “-and loyal-“ a kiss, “-and kind-“ a kiss, “-and you love your family.” She smiled. “I can’t think of anything more attractive than that.” She pressed her forehead against his. “I love you, Anakin Skywalker.”

“I love you, Padmé Amidala.” He laughed and kissed her again. “More than every star in every sky.”

The door opened slowly. Padmé lifted herself from her husband to turn around, and saw Leia standing in the doorway.

“Mommy, what are you doing?”

Padmé licked her lips, trying to suppress her grin. “Just playing around with Daddy.”

“Hey, princess,” Anakin said with a small wave. “What’s up?”

“I’m hungry.”

Luke appeared behind her as they entered the room and started to climb onto the bed. “When’s lunch?”

Anakin sighed, laughing, and sat up. “Come on, y’little womp rats. Let’s get you some food.” He took their hands and started to lead them from the room, then paused and turned to his wife. “You hungry?”

Padmé smiled and rose to her feet. “I could eat.” She kissed Anakin’s cheek and brought Leia onto her hip. “How do fish sandwiches sound?”

The twins cheered, Leia kicking her legs out on either side of her mother. Padmé laughed and pulled her daughter closer to accommodate for the sudden shift in her weight. 


	9. Chapter 9

On the twins’ fifth birthday, Anakin woke up screaming in the early hours of the morning. 

“It’s okay,” Padmé said soothingly, stroking his bicep. “It’s okay. You’re safe. We’re all safe.”

Luke rubbed his eyes as he sat up in his bunk. “Wha’s happenin’?” He yawned. “Everythin’ okay?”

“Everything’s fine, Luke. Daddy just had a nightmare. Go back to sleep.”

Luke frowned. He crawled over to the edge of his bunk and climbed down the ladder. “Daddy?”

Anakin, still shaking as he drew in ragged breaths, stared intently at the blanket draped over his lap. “I’m fine,” he choked. “Don’t worry.” He licked his lips. “Listen to your mother, Luke.”

But he didn’t. Instead, Luke sat beside his father and leaned against his side. Anakin instinctively wrapped an arm around his small shoulders, holding him securely. Luke put his own hand on Anakin’s as the squeezing became uncomfortable. 

“Daddy, what happened?”

Anakin’s gaze fluttered over to Luke’s right hand, now resting on his thigh. He shut his eyes tightly. “It’s nothing,” he lied. 

Leia appeared at the other side of her parents’ bed, crawling over to sit between the two of them. “It’s just a dream,” she said. “It can’t hurt us.”

Anakin brought his other arm around her and held her close. He kissed the top of her head. “I know,” he whispered. “I know.”His jaw clenched with his futile effort to hold back his tears. He sighed as Padmé hugged the three of them from the side. 

They sat there for a moment, Padmé rubbing soothing circles into Anakin’s shoulder blade. Anakin let a handful of tears fall before he was able to calm himself, steadying both his breathing and his shoulders. 

“Thanks,” he murmured. “I’m gonna use the ’fresher.” 

“Of course,” Padmé said gently. She pulled Luke and Leia into her lap. 

“What happened?” Luke asked as Anakin left the room. 

“I don’t know,” Padmé admitted. She brushed Luke’s bangs away from his forehead. “Your father doesn’t like to talk about his nightmares.”

Luke and Leia exchanged glances.

“Is he gonna be okay?” She asked softly.

“He’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Padmé pursed her lips. “Your father’s been through a lot,” she explained. “He’s seen a lot of very painful things, and they’ve left scars in his mind. Sometimes those scars hurt. He just needs time and support to get through that hurt, is all.”

Luke leaned into his mother. “He wouldn’t look at me,” he said quietly.

“It’s not your fault, Luke.”

“D’you think he had a future dream about me?”

“A future dream?”

“I get ‘em sometimes,” Leia explained. “Sometimes I have dreams about Luke finding shells, and then he does.”

“Leia-“

“And I had a dream that Luke and I were way older and he was really sad, and his hand was-“

“Leia, that’s enough.” Padmé’s voice was firm despite its shakiness. “Sometimes dreams are just dreams; they don’t always come true.”

Anakin sank to the floor just outside the bedroom and buried his face in his hands. His chest ached as he listened to his daughter’s words, and the images from his dream resurfaced.

Everything had been bathed in the red glow of a lightsaber. Luke couldn’t have been much older than eleven or twelve. He’d clutched his severed wrist to his chest. Leia had rushed to his side, her weapon still in hand, though sheathed. She’d glared at the one before them. He’d shouted at Obi-Wan to get Luke and Leia to safety and then-

And then he’d woken up.

Obi-Wan approached him with a cup of water from the kitchen. “Drink,” he said simply.

Anakin looked up. He took the drink in his hands and just held it there.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said after a moment, “I can feel your fear. I nearly fell over on my way out of the refresher. My head is still pounding.”

“Sorry.” Anakin took a sip of his water.

“It’s not your fault.” The older man sat beside his friend. “Though I’ll admit; it does have me worried. The last time you were like this was just before the twins were born. I don’t want you to do anything you might regret.”

Anakin set his water aside. “Luke lost his hand,” he murmured. “And Leia saw the same thing. She’s been having prophetic dreams. I must have passed the ability on to her.”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. “Was there anything else?”

Anakin took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “They need to be trained.”

“They’re  _being_ trained. Luke has already shown great progress with his telekinetic abilities, and Leia-“

“Not just with the Force, Ben.” Anakin’s gaze was hard as ice. “They need to be able to fight. They have to be ready to defend themselves and each other. I dont want that sleemo Sheev, or any of his cronies, to get the jump on us.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Alright.”

Anakin stood. He returned his cup to the kitchen before reentering the bedroom. Padmé and the twins looked up at him.

“Daddy,” Leia said, her voice small, “are we gonna learn to fight?”

Anakin’s heart leapt into his throat. He nodded. “Come on. Let’s get you two some training sabers.”

* * *

“Good. Leia, your turn. Run through velocity one for us.”

Leia took a deep breath. Swinging the stick she used as a training saber at an invisible enemy, she parried high, then low, attacked low. She shifted her feet. Attacked high, then low, parried low. She shifted her feet. 

“Great work.” Anakin nudged Luke’s shoulder. “Try it together, now. Leia, you’ll strike first, okay?”

“Got it.” She adjusted her grip as Luke approached her. “On three?”

“Nope. Just go.”

Leia blinked, caught off guard, but quickly regained her mental footing. She swung her saber at her brother fluidly, and he responded in kind. They repeated the exercise a number of times before Leia deviated, attacking high when Luke expected it to be low. She whacked him in the upper arm. 

“Ow!” Luke dropped his training saber in the grass. “No fair!”

“Bad guys aren’t fair,” Leia argued. “You gotta be ready.”

Anakin shook his head. “That’s not the point of the exercise, Lei. Practicing the velocities gives you muscle memory to fall back on when there’s no time to think.”

“And yet, I seem to remember you doing the exact same thing,” Obi-Wan commented from where he was meditating across the yard. 

Anakin grumbled. “Not a good time, Ben.”

Luke giggled as Leia pulled him to his feet. 

“Still. She takes after you.”

“I know, I know.” Anakin returned his attention to the twins. “Now try it again. And this time, just stick to what I taught you. Luke, you strike first.”

“Okay!”

The twins moved in a slow, steady circle, taking turns attacking and blocking in kind for several minutes. Anakin watched them closely. 

“Good work,” he told them as they returned to their original positions. “Take a break.”

Leia let her training saber drag through the grass. “Daddy, when are we gonna use  real lightsabers?”

“When you’re older. And I feel like you’re ready.”

Leia pouted. “I feel ready now.”

Anakin sighed through his nose. He knelt down in the grass. “Lei, we just started a few weeks ago. Real lightsabers are a lot heavier and harder to use; I don’t want you two hurting yourselves or anyone else.”

“But lightsabers are so cool!”

“Leia. I said no.”

She folded her arms. “Sleemo.”

“Hey! Language!”

“You get to say it!”

“When do I say it?”

“When you think I’m not listening.” Leia puffed out her chest and smirked. 

Anakin sighed again. “Well, don’t say that. It’s not nice.”

“But it’s fun!”

“I know it is.” He thought for a moment. “How about you ask before you say it, okay? Then I’ll let you if I think it’s okay.”

Leia took a second to consider the offer. “Deal.”

“Good girl.” He ruffled her hair. Looking out across the yard, he could see Luke sitting quietly beside Obi-Wan. “Why don’t you go meditate with Luke and Uncle Ben for a little bit?”

“I don’t wanna,” Leia complained. “I wanna keep practicing.”

“Well, Luke is practicing meditation right now-“

“I wanna practice with you!”

Anakin blinked, then smirked. “You think you’re up to the challenge?”

“Yeah!”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh!”

Anakin used the Force to pull his own training saber into his hand. “Go on, then. Hit me.”

And she did. She adjusted somewhat for her father’s height, and her movements were fluid. They went at it for a few minutes, gradually increasing in speed, before Leia jumped to one side, pivoted on the ball of her foot, and struck Anakin hard in the back. The stick thunked harmlessly against his oxygen tank. 

“Got you!”

Anakin couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “You sure did.” He ruffled her hair. “Someone’s eager to start sparring, huh?”

“Uh-huh. I already know the velocity; I wanna learn the cool stuff now!”

“Leia, this is about more than just cool stuff.”

“I know, I know.” She kicked at the dirt. “But the cool parts are more fun.”

“. . . Yeah, I can’t argue with that logic.” Anakin lifted Leia onto his hip. “Now come on. I’ve got some stuff to think about, and you need to practice staying still and focused while you meditate.”

Leia gave him a serious look. “Is it about your dream?”

Anakin sighed. He nodded. “Yeah, Lei. It’s about my dream.”

“Is it gonna come true?”

“I think so, Lei.” Anakin lowered his voice. “I heard you tell Mommy you’ve been having dreams about stuff that hasn’t happened yet.”

Leia nodded. “Future dreams.” She leaned in closer. “Did you see Lukey lose his hand, too?”

Anakin let out a shaky breath and squared his shoulders. He nodded. “Did it scare you?”

“Uh-huh.” Leia licked her lips. “But we’re gonna keep him safe, right?”

“As much as we can,” Anakin promised. He hesitated before continuing. “Did you see who it was?”

“A really big lady. She had a red lightsaber. There was another lady, too, but I think she was helping us.”

“Another lady? What did she look like?”

“I don’t remember,” Leia admitted. “I was scared. I thought Luke was gonna die, so I went to make sure he was okay.”

Anakin held Leia a bit tighter. “You’re a good sister,” he told her. “I’m glad you went to take care of him.”

“Is my dream gonna come true?”

Anakin nearly choked on the words. “Yeah. Yeah, it’ll come true. But not for a long time, okay? So don’t worry about it too much.” He kissed her forehead. “We’re safe. We’re safe here. Nobody’s going to hurt us.”

“Are you crying?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I wish I could keep you and your brother safe forever.” he sniffled and leaned back slightly to hold her hand. “But I’m gonna do it for as long as I can, okay? The galaxy is dangerous, but I’ll do everything in my power to protect you guys. I promise.”

“I know.” Leia wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Daddy.”

Anakin held his daughter close. “I love you too, princess.”


	10. Chapter 10

She sat there, still and silent, for hours. She focused on the name. 

_Skywalker_.

She only broke her concentration to choke down a ration bar every so often, or when her muscles ached in protest of holding her position for so long. She refused to allow herself to drift off. She had to know. 

_Skywalker_.

She didn’t know how long she’d sat there when she felt that familiar tickle in the back of her skull. She reached out, pushing further, heart pounding. Her fingers just barely brushed something; a rippling scar. 

_Skywalker_.

There was fear. Fear like she’d never quite felt, magnified by the bond. Her eyes snapped open and she scrambled backward, falling onto one elbow, her other hand clenched in a fist around nothing. Her shoulders shook. 

_Skywalker_.

He was out of bed in an instant, his breath coming quick and shallow. His eyes darted around the room. Luke and Leia slept quietly in their bunks, bathed in the light of two of the planet’s three moons. Padmé, facing the other wall, stirred slightly, then was still. He could feel Obi-Wan still sleeping in the other room.

Anakin did his best to slow his breathing. He padded over to the dresser, pulling the bags of essentials he kept in the lower drawer out and placing them on the hardwood floor.

“Jinn?”

He tensed. His right hand quickly found his lightsaber within the bag and pulled it out as he turned, ready to ignite it.

“Jinn,” Obi-Wan repeated, rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Anakin licked his lips. “I had a dream,” he said. His voice was almost unnaturally even. “Someone’s looking for me. For  _us_. For Nabs, the kids, you—“

“Jinn, slow down—“

“I think it’s him. He’s looking for us. Looking for  _me_. He’s gonna find us and take me back. Or take the kids away. Corrupt them. I-I can’t—“

“Jinn, breathe.”

“I can’t even stand to think about it — what he might do to them. The pain he’d put them through. Blast, what if he knows where we are? What if he’s already—?”

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “You need to calm down. Think rationally.”

Anakin met his old master’s gaze, frantic. His hands shook. “I’m just putting them in more danger, aren’t I?”

“Hey, listen to me. Don’t let your anxieties get the better of you.” He took the lightsaber and tossed it back into the bag at their feet. “Breathe.”

Anakin struggled, slipping back into hyperventilation every so often, but eventually was able to calm himself enough to let out a sigh and sit at the foot of his own bed with his head in his hands. 

“What happened in your dream?” Obi-Wan asked softly. “Don’t try to elaborate; just recount it.”

Anakin let his hands fall limp between his knees. “Someone was looking for me,” he said. “They were desperate. But there was this . . .” He frowned. “Hope. Like a tiny white light.” He put one hand on his shoulder, almost without thinking. “Small, calloused hands.”

Obi-Wan sat beside his friend, considering this. “Anakin,” he said tentatively, “do you think you could reach out to them in turn?”

Anakin looked up. “But what if it’s—“

“We both know it isn’t him.”

The younger man drew his mouth into a thin line. He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply, and sat up a bit straighter. 

_Skywalker._

There was that tickling feeling again. She hadn’t felt it in years, but she would always recognize it.

A man appeared in front of her — or, at least, the form of one. She kept her breathing steady as his lips moved, but the sound was garbled, as though the two of them were underwater.

“It’s a woman,” Anakin reported. “Orange skin. Montrals. Lekku.” His eyebrows lifted as he realized.

“ _Ahsoka_? ”

_Anakin_.

She reached out to touch him. Her fingers brushed against the smooth, rippling texture of his burned skin. 

_What happened to you?_

_It’s a long story._ He almost laughed.  _Stars, I’m glad you’re alive._

She wanted to throw her arms around his neck. Wanted to hold him so tightly his ribs might break. Wanted to bury her face in the crook of his neck and just hold him. 

_Anakin, I thought you were_ dead.

_I was, in a way_. He was just able to stroke her cheek.  _But I’m back now._

_Where are you?_

_I’ve been lying low with Obi-Wan, Padmé, and the kids._

_Kids? You two-?_

_Yeah, I know. But we’re on Lew’el right now. Have been for a few years. It’s not on the Empire’s radar at all, really._

_I’ve been helping out the rebellion._

_Come to Lew’el. You’ll be safer here with us._

_I don’t know where it is. And I’m really busy with my intelligence work. It could take months for me to get the time to that long of a journey. Maybe cycles._

Anakin sighed.  _Do what you have to do. I believe in you, Snips._

A wave of Ahsoka’s laughter rolled over him.  _Thanks, Skyguy._

Anakin came out of his trance with Obi-Wan pacing anxiously in front of him. “What happened?”

“Ahsoka’s alive,” Anakin said as he stood. “She’s safe. For now, at least. She’s working with the rebellion, and she wants to see us, but doesn’t know where Lew’el is. I’ll have to get her the coordinates from the ship. And it could take a while for her to get a chance to actually get here.”

“Who’s Ahsoka?”

Anakin and Obi-Wan turned to see Luke, sitting up in his bunk and stretching his arms above his head. He stared back at them, blue eyes wide and expectant.

“Go back to sleep, Lukey.” Anakin said softly, crossing the room to sit beside his son on the bottom bunk. He pulled the blanket up to cover Luke’s chest as he laid back down. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

“But I wanna talk now.”

“It’s late. Get some rest.”

“But I’m just gonna stay up thinking about all my questions!”

Anakin hung his head. Obi-Wan chuckled behind him.

“He’s very much your son, Anakin.”

“Shut up.” He looked back to his son. “Okay, kiddo. What do you wanna know?”

“Who’s Ahsoka?”

“She was my student before you and your sister were born.”

“Is she one of the bad guys?”

“No, buddy.” He laughed. “She’s good. She’s really good.”

“What’s she like?”

Anakin thought for a moment. “She’s strong,” he said. “Brave. Stubborn. Loyal. Funny. Kind.” He ruffled Luke’s hair. “She’d love the two of you.”

“Are we gonna meet her?”

“Someday.”

“Did she ever eat a bug?”

Anakin smiled at the memory. “Yeah. I tricked her into thinking it was part of her initiation.”

Luke giggled.

“Anything else?”

The boy furrowed his brow. “Is she gonna be a Jedi too?”

Anakin paused. “She . . . She  _was_.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you in the morning.” He kissed Luke’s forehead. “Go to sleep now.”

“Okay.” Luke hugged Anakin’s neck and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too, Lukey.” He gently squeezed Luke’s shoulders. “Night.”

“Night.”

“Daddy?”

Anakin looked up at Leia, who was peeking over the railing of the top bunk. “Yeah, Lei?”

“I’m thirsty.”

“Leia-“

“Can I have some water?”

He sighed through his nose. “Don’t move.”

Anakin headed to the kitchen, grabbing a cup and filling it with purified water from the tap, then returned to the bedroom. Leia had swung her legs over the railing of her bunk and rested her folded arms on her knees. She was whispering with Obi-Wan.

“I thought I told you not to move.” Anakin handed Leia the cup with a smirk. 

“I wanted to talk to Uncle Ben,” she explained.

“Your brother is trying to sleep.”

“I tried to tell her that,” Obi-Wan whispered defensively.

Leia drank the water quickly, wiping what dribbled from the corners of her mouth on her sleeve. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“Of course. He took the cup back and leaned in to kiss her cheek, which she promptly wiped away. “Love you. Now go to sleep.”

“Okay. Love you too.” She gave her father a pat on the head and pulled her blanket around herself.

Anakin smiled as his children drifted off to sleep. He was about to get back into his own bed when Obi-Wan gently grabbed his upper arm.

“Shouldn’t we talk about this?”

Anakin rolled his shoulder to pull away. “In the morning.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Goodnight, then.”

“Night.” Anakin crawled back under the covers and hugged Padmé from behind. He planted a small kiss on her bare shoulder. 

“Mm, love you,” she mumbled, still mostly asleep. 

“You too.” 


	11. Chapter 11

Padmé was the first to wake that morning. She stretched her arms above her head, one of her shoulders giving a satisfying crack, and sighed. She relaxed for a moment into the pillows. Anakin slept peacefully beside her, lips parted, chest rising and falling with the slow, gentle rhythm set by his respirator, which he’d set on the table beside their bed. He grumbled, shifting slightly, and his mechanical fingers found hers. His hand twitched. He smiled in his sleep as she returned the gesture.

“Good morning,” she said softly.

He mumbled an incoherent reply and curled into himself slightly.

“Tired, huh?”

He nodded groggily. “Weird night.”

“Weird how?”

Anakin sighed and scooted closer to his wife, bringing her into his arms. “No talking yet.” He laughed through his nose against her skin. “Just this.”

Padmé smirked, gently holding his forearm. “Not bad weird, right?”

“No.” He nuzzled his head into her shoulder. “Kinda good weird, actually.”

“That’s a nice change.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell you about it a little later.” He tilted his face up to kiss her jaw. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She cupped his cheek and kissed him back.

The two of them laid there in comfortable silence for a while. Anakin might have fallen back into sleep, but then the bed shifted. Padmé looked over to find Luke climbing up to lie between the two of them.

“Hey, Lukey.” Anakin pushed aside his bangs as he took his place in the middle. “What’s up?”

“I had a bad dream.” Luke’s voice was small.

“‘M sorry, kiddo.” Anakin pulled him to his chest.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Padmé asked, shifting closer to her husband and son. She stroked his upper arm.

Luke nodded. “I was real small,” he said. “The ocean and the grass were gone. Daddy picked up me and Lei and we had to run away. I was really scared.”

Anakin sighed.  Great. One twin is having nightmares about the future, and the other is having nightmares about the past.  “I know,” he said gently. “That was a scary day.”

Luke looked up at his parents. “Who’s Anakin?”

He and Padmé exchanged worried looks.

“It’s complicated,” she said hurriedly. “He’s a very special secret.”

“Do I get to be in on it?”

“No,” Anakin said, perhaps a bit harsher than he’d meant to. “No. Not right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s dangerous for you to know who he is.”

“Why?”

“The bad guys are looking for him. And if they find out you know him, they’ll be looking for you, too.”

“But the bad guys are already looking for us.”

“I know. So we don’t want to give them any more reasons to want to find us.”

Luke furrowed his brow in thought. “Is it like that for Padmé and Obi-Wan, too?”

Anakin’s heart caught in his throat. He coughed once. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” Luke gave each of them tight hugs around their necks. “I’m hungry.”

Anakin couldn’t help laughing a bit. “Wanna go tell Uncle Ben it’s time for breakfast?”

“Okay!” Luke excitedly scrambled from the bed and ran into the other room where Obi-Wan slept.

Padmé adjusted her nightshirt as she stood. She reached up to the upper bunk and gently shook Leia’s shoulder. “Lei,” she called out softly. “Leia, wake up.”

Leia turned to face her mother. “Yeah?” Her brown eyes were already wide and bright.

Padmé smiled wryly. “How long have you been up?”

“I heard Luke get up. He was upset, and I couldn’t sleep after that.”

Anakin’s smile fell. “You’re connected,” he said.

“Yeah. We’re all connected. That’s what you and Uncle Ben taught us.”

“Well, yes. But what I mean is that the two of you have a very strong, very special connection. It’s like the one I have with Uncle Ben.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain. But, basically, you have a bond like no other two people in the whole galaxy. It comes from time and understanding, and it can never really be broken. Both of you can feel when the other is angry, or happy, or scared. You can use it to keep each other safe.”

“Or keep each other awake,” Leia complained.

He chuckled. “Yeah, that too. Now come on. Breakfast.”

“Okay.” Leia climbed down from her bunk and took Anakin’s hand, then Padmé’s, marching the two of them into the kitchen.

“Morning, Lei!” Luke’s smile was topped with a green milk mustache.

“Morning.” She sat beside him at the table. “Mama, can I have milk too?”

“There’s already some for you in the refrigerator.” Obi-Wan gestured from the stove with his spatula. “Jinn, meat or no?”

“Sure.”

“Nabs?”

“On the side. Thanks, Ben.”

“Got it.” He shook the eggs in the pan onto two plates, handing them off to the twins, before he started on another serving.

“Dad, do we have spices?” Luke asked.

“Luke, there’s already spices on the eggs,” Obi-Wan informed him.

“Yeah, but I can’t even taste ‘em.”

“Yeah, Uncle Ben.” Leia twisted in her chair. “The eggs need more spices.”

Anakin grinned. He grabbed a small jar of red and black flakes from the cabinet. “Thank the stars I’m not the only one with taste,” he commented as he seasoned their breakfasts to their liking.

“Just because you can eat Dathomirian ghost peppers,” Obi-Wan muttered.

“Yeah, and I do it gladly. They’re  good .”

“If you’re insane.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You’re just jealous because you grew up on bland Temple food and ration bars, while I was raised on my mother’s home cooked meals.”

Padmé laughed. “Boys, don’t fight.”

“Then tell him he’s wrong, Nabs. C’mon, you said you’d be with me. That was the vow we made.”

She shook her head. “Not in stupid arguments.”

“It’s not-“ Obi-Wan cut himself off. He laughed. “Well, it’s not really an argument.”

“Oh, I’d argue that it is.” Anakin ruffled Obi-Wan’s hair as he passed by. The older man grumbled indignantly, and the twins exchanged glances, clearly trying not to break out into giggles.

“You’ll be regretting always being so contrary in a few cycles,” Obi-Wan warned. “They’re going to follow your example, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

Luke hopped down from his chair and put his empty milk cup in the sink. “Daddy, did you tell Mama about your dream?”

“My dream?”

“Yeah. You had a dream about Ahsoka.”

Padmé glanced over at Anakin. “Did he now?”

“Yeah. Then he meditated and told Uncle Ben she’s okay.”

“Hold on. Jinn, how do you know that?”

Anakin sighed. “I talked to her. Not with a commlink or anything, though. Don’t worry. It’s not traceable. We were able to use the bond we formed while she was my padawan to communicate telepathically.”

“What did she say?”

“She’s helping the rebellion, but she didn’t say much more than that. She’s pretty busy with her reconnaissance missions.” A smile tugged at his lips. “She said she wanted to come see us.”

“And that’s what worries me.” Obi-Wan handed Padmé a plate of food. “Don’t get me wrong; I’m very glad she’s alive. I’m not at all opposed to seeing her again. But we’ve been on this planet for almost three cycles now with no problems. There’s not an Imperial trooper in sight.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t want to have to uproot them again.”

“You’d better not be implying that she-“

“That’s not at all what I’m saying. My concern is the possibility of her being  followed .”

“She’s smarter than that.”

“I know you have faith in her. I do as well.But it’s still a risk that we need to take into account.”

Padmé put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “He’s right, Jinn,” she said softly. “We need to be prepared for anything the universe might throw at us.”

Anakin’s hand covered hers. He stared intently at the wood grain of the table. “I’ll load up the information on nearby planets when I get the coordinates for her. That way we’ll have plenty of options if we need to leave.”

“Dad, why would Ahsoka get followed?” Leia asked around a mouthful of food.

“Lei, don’t talk while you’ve got food in your mouth,” Padmé chastised. “But it’s because she’s helping the rebellion, and the bad guys don’t like that.”

“Are we helping the rebellion?”

“Not now. We’re just trying to keep ourselves safe.”

“Can we help the rebellion?”

“Maybe once you two are a little older,” Anakin said. For now, we just need to stay hidden.”

Leia folded her arms. “I wanna fight bad guys,” she grumbled.

“I know. And you will, once you’ve gotten more training.”

“But we’ve been training for two years! We’re strong now; we can take ‘em!”

“The Empire is powerful,” Anakin said sternly. “So are you, but you don’t fully grasp how to use your strength. They have cycles upon cycles — even  decades of training. They know exactly what they’re doing, and they won’t hold back on you because you’re kids.” He knelt down and put one hand on the shoulder of each twin. “If they think you pose a threat, they will do everything in their power to kill you. And that’s the very last thing I want.” He didn’t bother fighting the tears that came to his eyes. “So we have to wait until you’re properly trained. That way we’ll have a chance at beating them. Understood?”

Luke nodded. His hands balled into fists. “Dad?”

“What is it, Luke?”

“We’re all gonna protect each other.”

It wasn’t a question.

Anakin managed a smile and pulled the twins close. “Of course we will, Lukey. All of us are gonna keep each other safe. I promise.”

Padmé wrapped her arms around her husband and children. “Ben, get down here.”

“But I’m-“

“We don’t have all day,” Anakin laughed.

Obi-Wan sighed, moved the pan from the burner, and joined in on the hug. “Satisfied?”

Padmé hummed. “Getting there. Luke, Leia, what about you?”

“I’m squished,” Leia said. She pulled her parents closer. “But it’s a nice squish.”

“I like it too,” Luke agreed. He reached up to grab Obi-Wan’s neck. “What about you, Dad?”

“You know I love being around you guys,” Anakin said with a laugh. “Of course I like it.”


	12. Chapter 12

Anakin watched as Luke and Leia went through their warmup drills. Both of them were progressing nicely; though that meant they were now strong enough to injure one another in their roughhousing. Luke’s first two fingers on his left hand were taped together as a testament to this, and Leia wore a small bactapatch on her cheek. Anakin knew they would need to move forward from training sabers soon enough.

“Do you know where kyber crystals can be found aside from Ilum?” He asked Obi-Wan as he continued to watch his children.

“I assume you don’t want to hear me say Tatooine.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

Obi-Wan thought for a minute. “The Adega system specializes in crystal exports. There are probably some there, but it could take a fair bit of searching. Christophsis, but the Empire no doubt has full control of the planet. Jedha could be-“

“The Empire knows about Jedha. They’ve got the planet essentially on lockdown. Mygeeto, too.” Anakin sighed. “And there were rumors about a secret Jedi temple on Lothal, but it’d be a pain to search for.”

“M’haeli has Dragite crystals. They’re not exactly ideal for beginners, though. Even Jedi who are experienced in crafting lightsabers find difficulty incorporating them. Zoph has Zophite crystals, but they’re notoriously unstable. There are some on Dantooine, though. I’ve caught bits of transmissions about a rebellion against the Empire stationed there, so we might have protection if that’s where we end up .”

“Or we might be putting a target on our back.” Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose. “So it’s between Dantooine, Zoth, Lothal, or the Adega system.“

“Tatooine,” Obi-Wan reminded him.

“We are  _not_ taking the kids back to that sandpit.” Anakin sighed again. “As much as I can’t stand the idea of putting us at risk, I think Dantooine might be our best bet.”

Luke glanced over as he and Leia finished their warmup. “Best bet for what?”

“For finding kyber crystals,” Anakin said. “So the two of you can make yourselves some real lightsabers.”

Luke’s eyes widened with a grin. “Really?!”

“You know it.”

Luke whooped and hollered, high-fiving Leia and bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Anakin smiled at their enthusiasm. “Remember, though. This isn’t all fun and games. It’s where your paths as Jedi truly begin. It’s considered a great honor.”

“When are we gonna go?” Leia asked.

“I wanna go now!” Luke says. He took his father’s hand. “Come on, Dad!”

Anakin chuckled. “Be patient, Lukey. I’ll talk to your mother about it. For now I want you to do your training exercises with Uncle Ben, alright?”

Luke deflated slightly. “Okay.” He picked up his training saber from where he’d dropped it in the grass. “C’mon, Lei.”

* * *

Luke kicked his feet excitedly in the co-pilot’s seat, watching the stars whizzing past. His gaze flickered over to his father, who was still calculating where, exactly, to end the jump. 

“How much longer?” Leia asked from the backseat. 

“Just a few more minutes, Lei,” Anakin replied. “We’ll be out of hyperspace soon.”

Leia bounced her leg anxiously. She licked her lips. 

The lines of stars shortened, coming to a halt as pinpricks of light in the vast blackness of space. Luke sat up straighter as Dantooine came into view. 

“Whoa.”

“Impressive, huh?” Anakin smiled. He had all but forgotten what it was like to touch down on a new planet for the first time. Looking back, he hadn’t been even two years older than his children were now when he first left Tatooine. The astonishment on their faces made his heart well up with warmth. 

The ship touched down at the southeastern end of the Khoonda plains. The bay doors opened to reveal a wide, yellow grassland, dotted with lavender flowers and interrupted occasionally by squat, thick-trunked blba trees. Leia tugged on her father’s tunic and pointed out a group of about ten animals that were eyeing the ship curiously. 

“What are those?” She asked softly. 

Anakin pulled out his binoculars. “Looks like a pack of kath hounds,” he said. “Don’t get too close to them, okay? They won’t bother you if you leave them alone.”

“Okay.” 

Anakin tousled Leia’s hair. “Come on.”

She and Luke trailed after him. Luke gazed up at the twin moons in the sky above them. 

“Two of the moons followed us,” he murmured. 

“Lots of planets have moons,” Anakin corrected. “See that big crater in the littler one? None of Lew’el’s moons have that.”

“So Dantooine has its own star  and moons?”

“That’s right. And the whole star system has complete different constellations.”

“Wow.”

Anakin reached out with the Force as the three of them approached the tunnel leading into the cave system. He couldn’t sense any other lifeforms nearby, but still ignited his lightsaber, holding it above his head to use as a lantern in the darkness. 

Luke ran one hand along the wall of the tunnel. “Dad, how are we gonna know which crystal to take?”

“You’ll know,” Anakin said. 

“Yeah, but  how ?”

“Just trust me. I don’t wanna ruin the surprise.”

Luke groaned. 

“Don’t whine, Luke.”

“Yeah. Don’t whine, Luke.”

“Leia. Don’t make fun of your brother.”

“Yeah, Leia. Don’t make fun of your brother.”

Anakin sighed. “Try and focus, you two.” 

Something chittered from further inside the cave. 

“What was that?” Leia whispered. 

“The reason I came in here with you,” Anakin replied softly. “Normally masters wait outside while their students find their kyber crystals. But there are creatures in these caves known as kinrath, and they can prove to be a tricky enemy. I didn’t want you to have to face them on your own.”

Luke hid behind his father’s leg. “Are they bad guys?” He asked. 

“Kinda. Not really, but, uh.” He cleared his throat. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain it to you later. Just stay close to me.”

They continued for a while longer. Leia was the one to see a strange, arachnoid creature lying on the ground at the end of a short hallway. 

“Dad, Luke. Come here.”

Luke and Anakin looked where she was pointing.

“I think I found one,” she said softly.

Luke set his shoulders and took a few careful steps forward.

“Luke, stay away from it.” Anakin warned.

“But it’s hurt.” Luke glanced back at his father. “I wanna make sure it’s okay.”

Anakin sighed. He followed Luke closely, with Leia not far behind. “Be careful.”

Luke knelt beside the kinrath. He placed one hand on the appendage coming from its face, which was snapped, leaking pale blue blood onto the ground.

“It’s dying,” Luke said quietly. “Dad, what do we do?”

Anakin knelt beside his son. “There’s only one thing we  can do, buddy.”

“Are you gonna kill it?”

“Yeah.” Anakin put his free hand on Luke’s shoulder. “It’s suffering. We can’t leave it here like this.”

Luke nodded. He pet the kinrath’s head gently. “Sorry, kinrath.” He got to his feet and stood behind Anakin, holding his sister’s hand tightly. Both of them shut their eyes as he quickly plunged his saber into its brain.

Anakin could feel the thing’s pain dissipate as he killed it. He sighed, then pulled a vibroblade from his pocket and cut the sweat gland from it’s abdomen. “This will disguise our scent,” he explained. “They won’t view us as a threat, but we have to stay together. Got it?”

Leia nodded. She squeezed Luke’s hand. “You okay?”

Luke sniffled, but nodded. “I’m okay.”

Leia gave him a quick hug. “Come on, Lukey. We gotta find our kyber crystals!”

Anakin managed a smile as the three of them ventured further into the cave system. The twins gazed up at the ceiling, glittering with small clusters of minerals.

“Are those the kyber crystals?” Leia asked.

“No; I don’t know what those are. But its not kyber.”

Luke picked up a stray stone from the ground and turned it over in his hands. He dropped it on the ground. He did this several times as they walked, but eventually gave up on the endeavor.

“How are we gonna know which crystal to take?” He asked again.

“You’ll be able to feel it,” Anakin explained. “Maybe you’ll hear something, or see a light, or just know you have to go a certain way. It’s different for everyone. But you have to trust yourselves, and your connection to the Force.”

Luke was about to speak again when something stopped him in his tracks. He ran back toward a winding corridor and stood there for a moment.

“Do you hear something?” Leia asked.

Luke frowned, furrowing his brow. “Wind chimes,” he said.

“I don’t hear anything,” Leia muttered after a moment of quiet. “And why would kinrath make wind chimes, anyway?”

Luke gestured for his father and sister to follow as he moved toward the sound, almost hesitant. Leia only complied with a roll of her eyes as Anakin passed her and brushed her shoulder with his free hand.

Luke listened carefully, following a twisting path that Anakin kept track of in his head. He eventually stopped at a small crevice in the rock wall just big enough for him to squeeze through.

“There’s something glowing,” he told his father.

Anakin peered around his son’s head. He saw nothing. “You think it’s your crystal?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, go on.”

Luke scrambled through the hole and landed carefully on the other side. He turned. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

“I know, buddy. Go ahead. We’ll stay right here.”

The boy nodded, turned, and sprinted down to the source of the noise. Sure enough, there was a softly glowing crystal embedded about halfway up the wall. His fingers just barely brushed against it.

“Come on,” he muttered. He jumped up to scrabble at it with the tips of his fingers. After a few fruitless attempts, he huffed, folding his arms. He kicked at the ground in frustration as he went back down the hallway.

“I can’t reach it,” he told his father.

Anakin’s smile was well repressed. “The Force,” he reminded his son.

Luke blinked. “Oh, right!” He ran back down to the crystal.

Leia giggled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may or may not have to put this fic on hold for a little bit. i’ve got another chapter or so written up, but my brain has been in a million different places at once, and, honestly, i really need to get my ass in gear wrt my schoolwork. 😔 hopefully i can more confidently pick this back up very very soon !! thanks for sticking with it — and with me — for this long. 💖


End file.
